Johann's Stopgap
Johann's Stopgap: Sorcery, Wilds of Eldraine. Bargain. This spell costs 2 less to cast if it's bargained. Printings, prices, and format legality on Mana Grove.
- Mana cost
- {3}{U}
- Mana value
- 4
- Type
- Sorcery
- Colour identity
- Blue (U)
- Rarity
- Common
- Set
- Wilds of Eldraine (WOE)
- Released
- 2023-09-08
- Collector number
- 58
- Artist
- Christina Kraus
- Commander rank
- 22,783 (by how often it appears in Commander decks)
- Keywords
- Bargain
Build around this card with Grover
About Johann's Stopgap
Johann's Stopgap is a Magic: The Gathering card, a common blue sorcery from Wilds of Eldraine (WOE), an expansion set released in September 2023. It is collector number 58 in that set, with art by Christina Kraus. It costs {3}{U} (three generic and one blue mana) to cast, for a mana value of 4. Its colour identity is blue. It is legal in Standard, Pioneer, Modern, Legacy, Vintage, Pauper, Commander, Duel Commander, Oathbreaker, Pauper Commander, Brawl, Standard Brawl, Historic, Timeless and Gladiator. Wilds of Eldraine is its only printing so far. The latest aggregated market price for this printing is $0.17 (normal finish, as of 2026-11-01).
Card text
Bargain (You may sacrifice an artifact, enchantment, or token as you cast this spell.)
This spell costs {2} less to cast if it's bargained.
Return target nonland permanent to its owner's hand. Draw a card.
"Just ... stay in there ... for one ... second!"
Market price
Latest aggregated market price for the normal finish of this printing: $0.17 (as of 2026-11-01).
The figure covers this printing only; other printings carry their own price on their own page.
Format legality
Legality of Johann's Stopgap by format. Formats in which it is not legal are not listed.
| Standard | Legal |
|---|---|
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Duel Commander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper Commander | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Standard Brawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
Official rulings
Seven official rulings apply to Johann's Stopgap, newest first.
- If you copy a bargained spell, the copy is also bargained. If a card or token enters the battlefield as a copy of a permanent that's already on the battlefield, the new permanent isn't bargained, even if the original was.
- Some instant and sorcery spells require additional targets if they're bargained. You ignore those targeting requirements if those spells aren't bargained, and you can't bargain those spells unless you can choose the appropriate targets. On the other hand, you can bargain a permanent spell even if you won't be able to choose targets for an enters-the-battlefield ability of that permanent once the spell resolves.
- Bargain means "As an additional cost to cast this spell, you may sacrifice an artifact, enchantment, or token."
- Bargain represents an optional additional cost. A spell cast with that additional cost paid is "bargained."
- The cost-reduction ability of Johann's Stopgap doesn't change its mana cost or mana value, only the total cost you pay. Specifically, the mana value of Johann's Stopgap is always 4.
- You may sacrifice only one artifact, enchantment, or token to pay a spell's bargain cost.
- If the permanent is an illegal target as Johann's Stopgap tries to resolve, Johann's Stopgap is removed from the stack and you won't draw a card.
Similar cards
Other sorcery cards with a blue colour identity, ranked by how often they appear in Commander decks.
In these card lists
These card lists include Johann's Stopgap.